Fantasy Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Veinbound by Anne Pengelly

Hauntingly epic prose and one fierce firebrand of a protagonist make Veinbound: The Red Bargain by Anne Pengelly a must-read novel for fans of thought-provoking dark fantasy.

In a realm where blood can be burned as magical currency, paying one’s debt is a matter of life and death, and the Red Church always comes to collect – desperate to control the wielding of all sanguinary powers. Nyxa Reddane has been an orphan from birth, raised by a hedge priestess who taught her the workings of blood rites, simple healing spells, and how to eat the sins of the suspicious townsfolk […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-09-23T16:05:39+02:00September 4th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Pnĕumä: The Celestial Beings Trilogy by Eli Liszt

A forbidden romance between a spiteful warrior and a mesmerizing mortal threatens the delicate balance of races on Earth in PNĔUMÄ by Eli Liszt.

Jovianus Moreau may be the future leader of the five tribes of Celestial Beings living in delicate, hidden harmony among humans, but that doesn’t prevent this freshly graduated loner from falling fast and hard for the entrancing Simone. Their deepening connection could mean a death sentence for them both, but his obsessive desire for such a lesser being forces him to reexamine every unfounded belief he once held about mortals. Through heartbreak, betrayal, and separation, their […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-08-29T11:18:10+02:00August 29th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Romance Book Reviews|

True Winter (A Series of Four Seasons Book 1) by Q.K. Petty

A scythe-wielding demon arrives in Alabama to reclaim a sacred weapon that could win an ancient war in True Winter by Q.K. Petty, an exhilarating first chapter of a new urban fantasy saga.

Tasked with finding a biblical relic for a cult-killing faction called The House of David, Eden Dowler is a nearly immortal hunter with a drinking problem and a string of bodies left in his wake. A psychopath named Whiteface and his sect of masked killers are also dead-set on recovering St. Peter’s cursed shackles, leaving heads literally rolling on the streets of Mobile. Tangled in this bloody […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-08-28T15:48:54+02:00August 28th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews, Urban Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Windslash: The Last Elemental by Chris Bennett

An unlikely hero rises to save the world from a dormant evil in Windslash: The Last Elemental by Chris Bennett, an imaginative and energetic debut fantasy.

On the mythical island of Atlantis, a young student of the Wind named Timaeus discovers an incredible ability: he is able to tap into all four elemental powers – wind, fire, earth, and water – a rare gift only mentioned in prophecy and legend. This unexpected prodigy must master all four forms of elemental magic before he loses control or is consumed by his unprecedented access to such raw power. Forced to prove himself […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-08-20T18:26:03+02:00August 20th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: The Floating Lake of Dressa Moore by George Allen Miller

A visionary and whip-smart fantasy, The Floating Lake of Dressa Moore by George Allen Miller is a whimsical adventure with a brilliantly off-kilter cast.

Lakes, towns, and entire chunks of continents are hanging inexplicably in the sky after an epic clash between the last dragon and the last wizard ripped reality asunder with a magical tsunami. The final moments of those two mystic titans remain immortalized in time, frozen by an explosion of magic. Fascinated and determined to unravel this enigmatic puzzle, two eccentric scholars, Jonathan Braxton and William Watts Worthwaddle, embark on a bold expedition to Dressa, the heart […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-09-04T16:52:27+02:00August 11th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

The Heart Scarab by Stella Atrium

Expanding her already stunning Duchy Wars series, author Stella Atrium delivers an elaborate and enthralling fantasy with The Heart Scarab.

Embittered by her defeat at the hands and talents of Bybiis the Beastmaster, Ulaya lurks in the shadows, gathering god-agent acolytes, scheming to reclaim more serpent pouches and the powerful magic they bestow, which may include seizing control of the serpents themselves. Ariseng has retreated to her forest home and tribal logic, while Siccamond embarks on a journey that puts her squarely in the path of those who would use her talents for sinister ends. Old enemies and new alliances […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-08-07T12:12:34+02:00August 6th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Red Demon by Sill Bihagia

An unflinching and epic work of sci-fi/fantasy, Red Demon by Sill Bihagia is the genre-blending debut of what portends to be a masterful series.

After discovering that his town has been wiped out by a mysterious bioweapon, and witnessing an immortal warrior named the Red Demon mercilessly cut down his brothers, a traumatized Jesse swears vengeance, provided he can survive the night. In a tense world where two strains of humans exist – the “magical” Asri natives and the “modified” Chaeten refugees – Jesse starts rebuilding a different life with loyal companions and fellow crafters, but the bitterness never fully […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-07-21T12:35:53+02:00July 21st, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Archer’s Moon by J.W. Webb

Divine worlds collide and hunting hearts tangle in Archer’s Moon: Dawn of Legends (Legends of Ansu Book 1) by J.W. Webb, a high-fantasy adventure that explores the unique essence and emotional depths of human nature.

From her celestial perch above the planet of Ansu, Argonwui peers down in wonder and longing at the world of humans, a recent creation of her grandfather, the Weaver. However, her mother Elanion, the Emerald Queen, is the custodian of Ansu, and forbids her daughter from any such meddling and mixing with mortals; her roving father Oroonis does enough of that for the whole family.[…]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-06-06T10:28:30+02:00June 6th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|